Later, however, she married the boy's father, Daniel Caparn, a chemist.
They left for Australia in 1847, where Catherine became a dressmaker.
She travelled to San Francisco in 1848 alone after being attracted to the gold rush there.
Catherine was then separated from Daniel, who followed her to San Francisco, but after no reconciliation he moved to Hawaii. He died there in 1851.
While in San Francisco, Catherine met William Henry Foley, a circus clown and charismatic performer.
They married in June 1851, and on June 23 Catherine had her first reported stage appearance in her husband's troupe under the name Mrs W H Foley.
Catherine and William left for Hawaii, where they performed during 1851 and 1852, before moving to Australia in 1853.
The Foleys took their Victoria Circus to New Zealand in September 1855, arriving in Nelson.
Mrs W H Foley joined her husband in the circus ring for a dual comedy act on September 29.
Their troupe would play to many of New Zealand's first settlers, and would arguably be this country's pioneering travelling theatre group.
Probably believing she would be better off on her own (she was a woman of immense talent), she then left the Victoria Circus and made her own way to Auckland.
There, with her large repertoire of Shakespeare, comedy, farce, plays and melodramas she joined forces with George Buckingham, a pioneer of Auckland theatre.
She reunited with her husband, however, and performed in Auckland's Theatre Royal, which was built at his instigation.
Mrs W H Foley performed on the opening night of that theatre on March 3, 1856, in Othello, the first production of Shakespeare in New Zealand.
The Foleys performed all over New Zealand, and included in some of the productions was accomplished actor George Swan, a future mayor of Napier who as a young man apparently fell hopelessly in love with her (as I suspect many did).
Due to New Zealand's small population, and long stays in one place, actors had to be versatile in the number of characters they could play.
Mrs W H Foley could present 14 characters in an evening from as many acts, then sing a number of songs and then be lead in a comedic farce.
She visited Napier in late 1865, with George Swan taking care of the theatre arrangements for her.
In 1857 she left her husband and in 1860 appointed Vernon Webster as her leading man.
Vernon Webster was the stage name for 28-year-old Lowten Lowten, who was originally from Liverpool.
A local newspaper reporter stated that he hoped Mrs W H Foley would bring some life to Napier, which he described as being a "proverbially dull township".
By this time (and probably since 1863) Mrs W H Foley was using Lucy as her first name.
It appears her popularity had begun to decline because she now faced competition from other touring theatre companies.
The shows performed in Napier weren't well attended, and a newspaper chided the people of Napier for not supporting her enough.
By 1867, Lucy (Mrs W H Foley) had left New Zealand with Lowten Lowten and travelled to South America to perform under the name of Lucy Lowten.
Disaster occurred when several members of their troupe died of sickness.
With an insufficient cast to perform, Lucy and Lowten put on a benefit performance in Peru in late 1868 to fund their return to England.
It is not known exactly what they did until they married in 1882 in Liverpool, but it appears they were living together before that under the names of Mr and Mrs Lowten.
Her marriage certificate gave her name and status as Lucy Catherine Foley, widow. However, her earlier husband William Foley did not die until 1885.
In 1883 the couple returned to New Zealand and settled in Napier.
They began performing at Napier's Theatre Royal, and other central North Island towns.
Lowten purchased the Royal Hotel in Carlyle St in December 1884.
Lucy Catherine (Kate) Lowten passed away aged 65 at the Royal Hotel, Carlyle St, on March 4, 1887.
The funeral procession left the Royal Hotel on Sunday, March 6, at 3pm.
Liverpool papers, requested the funeral notice, should be copied in on this news.
She was buried in the old Napier Cemetery on Napier Hill.
There was no mention by any newspaper that New Zealand's pioneering actress had passed away, or even that she had been an actress of note.
No photo of her appears to have survived.
She had two children, Charles and one other to W H Foley called Wilhelmina Foley.
Her death certificate said she had no surviving children.
Lowten sold the Royal Hotel after Lucy's passing, and moved to Taranaki, where he died in August 1891, aged 58.
* Michael Fowler's books A Collage of History: Hastings, Havelock North and Napier and From Disaster to Recovery: The Hastings CBD 1931-35 are available at Whitcoulls, Hastings and Napier; Napier I-site; Hastings i-site; Plaza Books, Hastings; Beattie and Forbes, Ahuriri; Art Deco Trust Napier; Wardini Havelock North and Napier; Hastings, Taradale and Napier Paper Plus and Poppies Havelock North.
* Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is the Art Deco Trust heritage officer.
